Emotion in the Mix
by Trixfan
Summary: It starts with the Booth/Brennan bar scene from Daredevil in the Mould.  Booth's angry...but at whom, and Bones is rational...or is she.  Promises made or promises broken?
1. Chapter 1

Please be gentle with me, this is my first Bones fanfic. HH owns everything except my imagination.

I never really liked the way the bar scene was played out in Daredevil in the mould or, in fact the whole Hannah arc. This is my interpretation of what should have happened…..LOL

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><p>Bones: You drunk?<p>

Booth: Relatively. Relatively meaning I'm drunker than usual. You know, I'm not a drunk.

Bones: You sound….something…..Hannah called me.

Booth: Just….I really…I don't wanna talk about that…k? I'm just…I'm over it, I'm done, k?

Bones: So, what happens next?

Booth: What happens next? What….you like evidence, right Bones? Well here's the evidence…the evidence is that there is something wrong here. Now I….I found love with a woman….I had a kid…she doesn't want to marry me. Well…and then the next woman, well she's…..

Bones: Me.

Booth: Yeah, and now, I mean what is it with women who just don't want what I'm offering here?

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><p>OK, so up to now it's the same. The writing style and the rest all change. I make no apologies, this is my interpretation. I just hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing it.<p>

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><p>Brennan couldn't stop staring at Booth. His profile, the sadness, the utter look of desolation affected her in a way she'd never experienced.<p>

'Not true,' Brennan's subconscious informed her. 'After the Dr in the photo case, his expression might have been different but it still affected you the same way. Only you were the one looking sad and desolated.'

As the moment stretched, turned into seconds, Booth became aware his inner turmoil caused Brennan to become quiet and still. A rare and uncomfortable silence descended over them, atypical enough to cause Booth to forget the anger building inside and turn towards her. His curiosity had been aroused.

'Booth,' Brennan muttered, her mouth moving as though to say more.

In that moment, that instant the world changed, tipped on its axis for just long enough. For the first time in her life, Brennan's conscious dropped the curtain of rigorous rationalism to reveal all the hurt and pain she felt.

'Booth,' she all but whispered, 'I want what you're offering.'

_Only I've been too stupid to realize it up until now,_ she added silently.

Memories flooded back. The hurt she had caused. At the time, when he'd asked her to give them a go, to act emotionally she didn't possess the strength to try. Temperance Brennan on the steps still held enough imperviousness to be rational in a highly charged demonstrative situation giving her the ability to resist looking into her heart. Brennan could now see what her rationality suppressed, her feelings of fear and denial.

Lauren's death made Brennan face the denial. She didn't want to die unremembered, unloved, and unable to return that love, or at least be given the opportunity to express it. So, from some where, the night Booth once again saved her life, she drew up the courage to conquer the fear, only to be rejected. Her timing and their moment hadn't arrived. Temperance Brennan once again attempted to shut down. She'd promised Booth she'd survive and she had. Only the denial didn't come so easily and the emotions rose to the surface more often than she liked to admit. Not that she allowed anyone else to witness these highly personal moments.

Tonight, she felt it. From backstage, the emotional actor knew, knew this was their moment. Forcing the curtain up, eradicating the rational scientist, the stage belonged to need, want, and love. Tonight, with Booth as his lowest, the time had come to loose the last of her imperviousness, to transform it into strength, emotional strength and the ability to demonstrate this new strength to herself.

'Prove it,' Booth spat the words, not believing the sudden changed in his partners eyes. Distrustful of the emotion and promise lingering within the glistening almost tears. The anger came welling from every neuron to create such a force of resentment, against Rebecca, against Hannah and most especially against Bones. So he moved quickly, trapping her on the bar stool between his outstretched arms. 'Prove it, Bones,' he demanded in a deadly tone.

Trapped by his body, Brennan didn't feel afraid. Temperance Brennan felt elated. Their moment had finally come. Brennan intended to take it and run with it as far and fast as Booth would allow.

'Now for act two,' the newly awoken, emotive force behind her actions refused to leave the stage. 'Rationalism be dammed, it's my turn to play.'

Locking gazes, Brennan replied in a husky voice, 'I intend to, Seeley. If you want to discover how, just follow me.'

With that, Brennan dropped enough cash on the bar to cover their drinks, gently but firmly, she took Booth's hand and made her way towards the door. The light grip gave Booth the option of lacing his finger through Brennan's and following her or let Bone's smaller hand slide beyond his grasp, permitting her to walk away.

Booth chose to…


	2. Chapter 2

In that moment, that seemingly instantaneous moment, so much ran through Booth's alcohol befuddled brain. Like the French TVG, once the train left the station, it continued to accelerate until it almost moved at the speed of sound.

Conflicted, Booth felt conflicted. He wished, truly wished he could be more like the rational, logical woman who's fingers were slowly slipping through his. But he couldn't. Rationality, cold hard logic played a role in his professional life, the one where he caught killers. Yet even this became underscored by emotion, understanding, Bones would call it psychology. Feeling, insight, reading people, trusting them encompassed an enate part of his personality.

He wanted to go with her. Seeley Booths heart, bruised and battered by the events of this evening and as angry as he felt, he still wanted to go with her. In the end, there'd never been any real choice. His fingers flexed before curling into Bones smaller hand, lacing there phalanges together.

_Phalanges, __Bones'd be proud of me, _Booth thought.

Curiosity, could it be that simple? Bones had laid down a challenge, an emotional challenge. '_I want what you're offering,_' she'd almost pleaded a few minutes earlier. But what did she really want? Did she want commitment, marriage, a life together? Booth rationally couldn't see Bones yearning for the same level of intimacy he craved. He wanted, needed so much more. He needed her, he always had.

On the steps, she had admitted she cared, in her way. Fear, simple blind panic kept them apart because Bones suffered from so much emotional damaged. Her history caused her fear. Her intelligence built upon it until the walls surrounding any emotion grew almost impenetrable. Almost, until the doctor in the photo finally produced a hole, then her walls came crashing down. By then Booth's situation precluded aiding in Bones's emotional journey.

His one regret…

'Bones,' he pleaded as they cleared the door of the Founding Fathers, 'slow down.'

Booths head began to pound the moment he stood, encircling Bones at the bar. His antagonistic tactic hadn't worked. He should've known better, very little frightened Bones physically. That first gulp of fresh night air sent the world rotating faster than it should. Booth battled to stay on his feet, much less move at the pace set by his determined partner.

'Booth,' Brennan turned, concerned by his sudden lunge for the wall. Consumed by her plans for this evening, her mind only wanted to contemplate what came next. Once the words left her lips, Temperance Brennan knew what she would have to do if Booth were to believe their moment had arrived. Allowing time to think allowed rationalization to re-enter her conscious and the realisation she could never take the chance again. The emotional player refused to give up the spotlight, even now relegating logic off the stage of her mind.

'Just drive me home, Bones,' Booth pleaded.

'I can't,' confusion laced her words, as her mind became a battle ground between reality and emotion.

'Can't,' he almost gagged on the word and the alcohol making a reappearance in the back of her throat, 'or won't.'

'Hannah…' Brennan didn't get the chance to continue.

As dizzy as he felt, Booth used the leverage of their intertwined hand and his strength to trap her against the wall. 'I told you, I don't wanna talk about that,' he growled, menacingly.

Holding his gaze with determination, Brennan answered, 'That's why I can't take you back to your apartment. Hannah,' Bones deliberately paused for effect, 'called. She wanted time to collect her belongings and leave.'

'Is that all she asked you to do, Bones?' The nasty tone insinuated collusion between the two women in his life. Anger engulfed him as he recommenced his private pity party. 'Or did she, maybe, ask you to find poor Seeley and keep him company.'

Confused, Brennan couldn't find an explanation, either rational or emotional for Booths behavior. 'I don't understand?' she told him quietly.

The fight left Seeley Booth the moment he knew she really didn't understand. 'I thought….I thought…'


	3. Chapter 3

'I thought…' Booth once again attempted to articulate the sudden blinding truths causing a maelstrom in his mind. The amount of alcohol he'd consumed tonight muddled his thoughts and tied his tongue in knots. Even if he knew what to say, Booth doubted it would exit his lips in any reasonable language a rational individual understood.

Then, just as suddenly, she got it. Brennan understood the connections between Hannah and herself which Booth attempted to convey.

'You thought Hannah gave me permission to….' Temperance choked on the words, horrified. This one time, Brennan didn't want to read the intent behind the flash of emotion playing across Booths features. Years of being his partner taught Brennan how this man thought, his morality and judgement. Right now, she wished she'd never gained this much insight into his character. She really, really didn't want to get it.

Booth saw it happen in an instant. Right before his eyes, the Temperance Brennan he'd come to know began collecting the shattered remains of the concrete edifice which had once trapped her emotions. She intended to rebuild the walls, more impervious than ever before. He, Seeley Booth would be the cause unless he did something about it. He felt sick, his stomach turning over, wishing he hadn't drunk so much. Maybe then he'd know what to say to her.

'I'm not a consolation prize, Booth,' Brennan spat, anger lacing her words and expression. Deliberately, she fired the words back at him. The same phrase which weeks ago had crushed the last of her impervious nature into dust, leaving a penetrating despondency and bone aching sadness. 'I'm not a consolation prize,' she repeated, eyes flashing angrily.

He didn't want to say it, he didn't mean to say it and yet it came tumbling out anyway. 'And Hannah was?' retaliated Booth in the same vein, suddenly unsure about many of the so called truths he'd clung since returning from Afghanistan.

'I don't know, Booth,' Brennan challenged in an icy tone, 'you tell me?'

Clarity, in a single moment of clarity, Booth capitulated. For once Bones had cut to the emotive heart of the matter. Not something Booth wanted to admit to himself, now or ever, but Hannah had been second best. A year in a war zone, especially for a rejected man, offered comfort by a beautiful blond, the result a forgone conclusion. Bones once told him he had a thing for blonds. Well, he'd proved her right and proved she knew him better than he knew himself. Then Hannah followed him home requesting they resume their relationship. His very nature dictated he see the affaire through to its natural conclusion. Moving in, cohabiting became a reality check, not just for Booth and Hannah, but Bones as well.

Sweets attempted to give Booth all the logical reasons why he shouldn't tell Hannah about Bones confession that rainy night. The night she'd almost been killed and he'd once again been her protector, saving Bones life for the umpteenth time. The same night Temperance Brennan's regrets finally got the better of her. Yet, Booth had almost destroyed his relationship with Hannah revealing Bones confession. Now he saw his honesty through the eyes of Sweets psychology. He couldn't live a life without Temperance Brennan in it. Telling Hannah had been a test, designed to assess the depth of his feelings and their relationship.

They, Booth and Hannah weathered that particular storm. It changed their relationship in subtle ways. A crack formed, caused by Booths need for brutal honesty and his unrealised inner turmoil.

Sweets drunken ramblings about Daisy and marriage could now bee seen for what they really represented. Yet another test, goading Booth into a proposal he neither wanted to make nor expected would be accepted. Hannah knew, Hannah understood even before Booth comprehended the truth. She'd been the consolation prize, the rebound relationship, the woman Booth could turn to until his Bones became strong enough accept his giving heart. Strong enough to conquer the last of her fear allowing her to open her heart for him.

Sweets'd done a job on him. The young psychologist played Booth like a fiddle. Why had everyone else seen it before him? Booth's anger turned inward as he finally accepted he'd been fooling himself.

'Booth?' Brennan's concerned voice finally penetrated his befuddled brain.

'Yeah,' he mumbled, realising the position they'd fallen into. No longer able to keep his arms locked on either side of her, Booth found himself crushing Bones against the wall. 'Sorry,' he muttered, eyes closed against the pain in his head and stomach. He rolled to one side, still loath to release Bones's fingers laced within his. 'I need to lay down, or at least sit'

Taking the physical connection as a positive sign, Brennan spoke softly. 'My car is parked down the street.'


	4. Chapter 4

OK, it's taken a long time to update this. I'm sorry for that but I needed to make a decision on how to complete this. I decided to go with leaving the season intact. I have something else in the works, between seasons 6/7, carrying of from this story and the final. Hope you'll join me for that one. Until then please enjoy the last two chapter of Emotion in the Mix.

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><p>Tucked safely in the front seat of Bones car, Booth covered his eyes with his hand in an attempt to stop the world spinning out of control. It didn't. A hand reached across his body, followed by the floral smell of Bones perfume and the click of the seat belt buckle locking into the catch. Finally, Booth's head exploded as Bones forced the seat into an almost horizontal position.<p>

'Hey, Bones, gentle' Booth bit the words out in an attempt not to empty the contents of his stomach in Bones car.

'I'll be back in a minute,' she replied vaguely, closing the door and leaving Booth in blessed silence.

_Thank God_, Booth reflected, _I just want to be left alone to die quietly of self induced misery._

The truths he'd uncovered tonight played on his mind, even though he didn't want them to. Convinced he loved Hannah, loved her for pity sake, turned out to be just a smoke screen for his real feelings. Bones, it had always been Temperance Brennan. That bond, formed on their first assignment, grew into the real soul crushing emotion assaulting him now.

Anger well in him once again as he realised how many people he's hurt with this inability to perceive his true emotions. Hannah! Who knew what Hannah thought or felt about the events of tonight? She'd told Booth that she thought they'd have more time, as though she'd seen this coming. Did she really know his feelings when he'd been so blind to them? God, how much hurt had she taken on board to let him off the hook gently?

And Bones, his Bones…

Booth finally dropped off into a restless, alcohol induced sleep.

Suddenly wide awake, Booth momentarily wondered why the car had stopped and he stood beside it. Looking around, his mind recognised the reflecting pool and monuments. Bones walked ahead of him, towards the railing. A sense of deja vu assaulted him. Yet this picture wasn't quite right. He felt as though he watched the scene from another point of view. He felt as though he controlled the scene playing out before him.

Bones turned and smiled at him and, like a lamb to the slaughter, Booth found his feet making there way over to her. They lent on the balustrade, side by side. That's when Booth saw it, the little black box in Bones hand.

'I brought that for Hannah,' Booth stated with distaste, wondering how Bone found it when he'd thrown the dam thing in the pond earlier this evening.

'No, you didn't,' Brennan sounded so sure as she opened the black velvet covered box to expose the sparkling diamond and platinum ring nestled inside, 'you brought it for the woman you love.'

'And that's who, Bones?' his look and tone suddenly deadly, wondering if this had been her intention. 'You?'

'I want what you're offering, Booth' once again the soft almost pleading words fell from her lips.

'Marriage!' he demanded, never expecting Bones to capitulate to his demand.

'Commitment,' she offered, tears pooling in her eyes.

'And you gonna prove that how?' The nastiness in his tone surprised him. Yet Booth knew he wanted no less than her complete capitulation.

Returning her attention to the small black box in her hand, Brennan pulled out the ring and attempted to give it to Booth along with her right ring finger.

'Wrong hand, Bones!' Booths eyes held Bones for a long moment, daring her to surrender to his needs and present her left hand.

'I offered the promise of commitment, Booth,' Brennan quietly responded, her eyes saying more than either her tone or words, 'that's more than I've ever offered anyone. It's all I'm capable of offering.'

It moved him, yet he couldn't find the courage to take the ring from her shaking fingers. He wanted it all, the marriage, the wife, the kids and the house with the white picket fence, mortgage included. Booth wanted all that, and he wanted it with Temperance Brennan. Seeley Booth wasn't about to settle for anything less.

'I'm too angry.' Booth looked away not wanting to continue their confrontation. Or tell Bones if she didn't offer all of herself, he didn't want any of it.

'At me?' Brennan asked, confused.

'At myself.' He whispered, looking down at the ripples on the water. The stars in the sky reflected back at him, mocking him.

'Why?'

'Because you're right, Hannah….'

'We're going to talk about this now?' She exploded, anger lacing her voice.

'No, Bones,' Booth let out a heartfelt sigh, 'we're not.'

Somewhere to his left, Booth heard a door open and close. A warm hand linked with his, fingers entwined. That's when he realised he'd been dreaming.


	5. Chapter 5

Looking through the window, Brennan watched Booth, just watched him. Jumping for joy, the emotive actor almost remained in full control of the stage. Overjoyed at the guilty pleasure, Brennan allowed her eyes to drink in every molecule making up Booths features. The hand covering his eyes became limp and slipped away. It now rested on the emergency break, halfway between the seats. A smile graced Brennan's lips as she turned away.

Across the street, Brennan spied a pharmacy. After purchasing paracetamol and water, she ambled back to her car. Aware she now had two choices before her. She could take Booth back to her apartment and let him sleep off his inebriation or continue with her plan which might be compromised by his current state. Brennan bit her lip with indecision. Either way, Booth would need to re-hydrate in order to prevent the effects of the alcohol he'd consumed. Paracetamol might stave off the impending hang over but Brennan knew it wouldn't do anything for the anger he felt.

The rational scientist, for purely logical reasons, could only chose to keep him safe and protected because that's what a good friend could be expected to do. Although their friendship had suffered recently, they were still partners, still looking out for each other. The rational portion of her brain insisted Brennan take this course of action. Alcohol caused respiratory depression, if complicated with vomiting while passed out, Booth might aspirate. Which could conceivably lead to infection or even death and Brennan didn't want to contemplate this fate.

_It's what Booth would do if the situation were reversed_, Brennan reminded her newly discovered emotional side.

_Yer, just like the night he saved your life, you opened up to him and he left__ you standing in the rain on the side walk of your apartment building, crying your eyes out_, snarled the emotional actor, unleashing an anger the likes of which Brennan never felt before. This new emotive force had other ideas, and taking him home to sleep it off didn't come close. This Brennan was in control, and said 'To hell with it, we carry on with the plan.'

When Brennan climbed into the drivers' seat, she once again noticed Booths hand. It'd strayed into middle of the car, almost begging to be held. Brennan found her extremity complying while thanking her choice of automatic car. Wether he needed physical comfort from another human being or her specifically, Bones didn't know. She was too delighted at the prospect of continuing their physical bond.

Temperance Brennan's thought became immersed in the plan to show the man at her side just how much she wanted what he had to offer. Flipping out her phone, she dialled a number. Once the person on the other end picked up, there would be no turning back. Judge Turner could expedite the paperwork necessary for a marriage licence, blood tests belayed until the morrow at his order and the civil ceremony conducted tonight within the Judges chambers.

Set in Brennan's mind as the only course of action, she stopped. The phone lay forgotten in her lap with a half complete phone number on the screen. Chocolate brown eyes opened before closing quickly to shut out the street light. Fingers flexed, holding tighter to the small warm hand encased in his.

The meaning in Booths dream became blindingly clear. Assaulted by the images he didn't want to contemplate at this particular minute, Booth sighed deeply. He knew the significance of the ring and Bones offer in his dream. Finally, she would be able to give him an open heart, at least as open as possible. It might not be the all consuming relationship he wanted but then again, compromise was just part of life.

True, the thick walls surrounding her emotions had been shattered, but the foundations were intact. It would take time, effort and patients to disassemble the underpinnings of Bones distrust. Booth knew, without a shadow of a doubt, one day his anger would allow him to do just that. Today however wasn't that day.

'I made a mistake, Bones, alright?' Sighing heavily, Booths reached for the seats control and sat up. The consequences of his sudden movement almost tore a painful grunt from his lips. Head in his hands, Booths voice could only be called a whisper. 'I. Made. A. Mistake.' Pure emotion punctuated the space between each word. Anger, disappointment, regret and, yes, even love, were expressed.

With those words, the emotional actor, who'd stolen the stage of Brennan's mind tonight, exited, quietly. They'd been defeated with a single look. So much passed between them in the second their eyes met. The rational, logical woman knew exactly what she needed to do. More, Brennan knew why she had to take Booth back to her home, to safety. It had everything to do with friendship, the future and promises.

Forcing his eyelids up against an insurmountable force, Booth looked at his friend and partner in the eye. 'I promise you this, in the future, when I'm less angry and you can maintain your open heart, we'll both commit to a serious monogamous relationship.' Unable and unwilling to expand on his actions tonight, he pleaded, 'NOW can you let me die in peace!'

Brennan instinctively understood Booths appeal for space. Handing him the water bottle and two white pills, she stated, 'water will dilute the alcohol in your blood stream decreasing the effects of your impending hang over, while the medication will help with the headache.'

'Thanks, Bones,' Booth sighed, closing his eyes once again after taking the offered relief.

The walls might be obliterated; the foundations still strong, yet the death of Mr Nigel-Murray would change that. Until then, Brennan would show him, everyday how much she'd grown, how much she'd opened her heart and that she would be there for him emotionally, when their moment finally arrived.

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><p>Thank you for staying with this story. I have another coming out soon, called the Baby in the Bones, Seeley in the Soldier. See yar then.<p> 


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